How to Keep a Promise
by XxBizarreRoomxX
Summary: Grimmjow is assigned a mission to protect a man who witnessed something he shouldn't have. After the team put on the mission meet the client, they kind of feel he doesn't actually need the protection. But Grimmjow promised to protect the man and he never backs down on his word. That's only if the promise doesn't keep itself.
1. Writer's Note

This will be my first story on Fanfiction ever so please be nice. Nevermind the nice part. I don't care if you have something mean to say. Criticism is accepted. Even though I don't think I know anyone who reads my stories, I'll still take your words for it.

Thank you for your time.

**Bleach does not belong to me.**

Enjoy the story.


	2. Prologue

Most say you can't hear someone scream in the dead of night. To one Ichigo Kurosaki, this was a complete lie. He simply was out to the convenience store to get some late night dinner and get that cashier's number. What was his name again? Oh, that's right, Hanataro. The way he'd blush when Ichigo would look his way from the isles. Ichigo could never resist a hot face. In this case, it was a literally hot face if the color of it was any indication. Hanataro seemed really quiet, but Ichigo knew he was a firecracker. After visiting the tiny store so many times on his way home from Seireitei U., he got to know the boy very well. He was seventeen, which was a five-year difference between him and Ichigo. Ichigo didn't really care. He just hoped Hanataro didn't when the time came. Well, if the time came. At the moment, Ichigo wasn't sure he'd live to that moment.

He couldn't move. His brain could barely process that his lungs needed air desperately. His brain instead told him to run, but he couldn't hear it over his pounding heart.

_Move, dammit!_

Ichigo could smell something akin to the metal of a penny that had been left out in the rain for weeks. The imagery didn't help his heart either. A silver-haired man stood over another man with locks of blue. The blue haired man's leg seemed twisted at least sixty degrees more than a leg normally is expected to bend. If one shifted just enough, on the inside of the man's knee part of the shin bone could be seen through his thigh. Ruby fluid trailed along the ally from the entrance where Ichigo stood to where the man lie now. Blood seeped from a small hole in the man's abdomen. If Ichigo had been anyone else, he probably would have screamed. Actually he shouldn't be the one screaming by the looks of it.

"Ya jus' gonna stand ther'?" the silver-haired man asked facing Ichigo directly.

Taking in the silveret's appearance, Ichigo took a step backward. The man seemed to be watching him with eyes thet were not quite open. The smile that was glued to his face didn't settle correctly either.

"What's it to ya, Smily?" Ichigo challenged.

'Smiley' gave a small chuckle and lifted a silver pistol that he'd been pointing at his prey.

"Is tha' any way ta' speak ta a man wif a gun?"

"Well, when you put it like tha-"

A shot resounded in the small ally, rattling Ichigo's heart even further than it already was. By now, it felt as though he had a heart-shaped candy dispenser in his chest full of Sweet Tarts. He just hoped this wouldn't affect his performance on his literature test tomorrow. The sound of huffing and grunting assaulted his ears. Ichigo directed his eyes to the man now coughing up blood on the filthy pavement. His hands trembled. Ichigo trembled, too. Ichigo wanted so bad to help the man. Considering the distance between him and that gun, it seemed impossible, though. The dying man now had a new hole on the right side of his chest. At this rate, the man would die from a collapsed lung. If not that, blood loss.

"This could be be you, y'know?" The man stepped closer to the orange-haired male. "But I'd hate ta' waste sucha' perty face."

The oranget scowled disdainfully.

"Now don' do tha'. I like tha' first scowl better." Ichigo took another step back. "Maybe I'll let ya' live if ya' give me a kiss."

At this, Ichigo's blood began to boil. He held nothing back when he balled up his right fist and slammed it into the silveret's face in a feirce punch. Blood splattered to the trash covered concrete from the slit-eyed man's mouth. He had stumbled into the nearest wall just from the brute force of the blow. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been hit that hard. Blindly lifting his gun, 'Smiley' pointed it to where he presumed the nearly dead corpse was and pulled the trigger. Yet another shot resounded through the ally followed by a small thud of something heavy hitting wet pavement. Ichigo watched in horror as the bullet ridden man fell. No one could possibly survive such a close range shot to the head. Ichigo dropped to his knees, his groceries down with him and he held his head. How could he be so useless. Again.

"Well, mah job here 's done," The grinning killer pulled himself up from the brick wall he'd been leaning on.

"You bastard," Ichigo said hoarsly." How can you kill so easily."

"He woulda' lived longer if ya' hadn' come along,"The grinning man turned the opposite of Ichigo and began to walk away." Jus' so ya' kno', I think we'll be meetin' ag'in. I know a guy who migh' be interested in ya'."

"You-" Ichigo choked."BASTARD!"

Ichigo was sure you could hear someone scream in the dead of night: It just fell upon deaf ears.

**Just prologue.**

**Just wondering, but can anyone guess how old I am?**

**MAYBE I'll add in something special for the next update if one or more of you guess right.**


	3. Chapter 1

Grimmjow never thought Viva La Vida would sound so terrible in his life. The blue-haired male groaned as he rolled away from the oh so welcoming body underneath him. This was not the time for interruptions or Coldplay. He really hated Starrk's timing unless it involved someone being shot. Preferably not himself of course. The other body in the bed stirred anxiously trying to get the distracted man back into their grasp. Grimmjow moved farther away, now annoyed at his partner's sudden clingy actions. Sure he liked a good cuddle, but not darn suffocation. Grimmjow swiftly plucked his phone from the night stand next to the bed. Upon answering, he grunted.

"You sound annoyed," Came Starrk's curt reply.

"'Fuck you want?" Grimmjow half sighed, half growl.

"Was it kitty's play time?" Starrk queried amusedly.

"Tch."

Starrk chuckled softly on the other end of the phone. "Well I guess now your balls match your hair."

"I'm going to hang up-"

"We have a job."

Grimmjow felt a grin almost split his face as he stood from the bed. The other figure in bed looked at him questionably.

"Get out."

The now insulted tan-skinned woman clicked her tongue as she, too, stood from the bed. The woman hurriedly applied her clothing and exited by slamming the door with a huff. Grimmjow couldn't care less about the woman's feelings. All he really cared for was to get his rocks off. His mother always said he was a wild stallion. Hell, she still does. That old hag never changes.

"One of these days karma's going to come for you," Starrk chided calmly. "You should be nicer to your partners."

"Fuck karma. I run my life," Grimmjow replied haughtily rubbing a red mark on his forearm. "I guess you could say literally fuck my 'partners'. Kinky bitch bit me."

"If you say so," Starrk sighed heavily."Meet us at the same place at eleven."

"Sure," Grimmjow smirked. "Now get the fuck off my phone so I can take a cold shower."

**++++PatheticPageBreak++++**

Grimmjow sat outside of the Kon Kafé eating a serving of bacon ice cream. He never thought the stuff existed until he messed up on an internet search. How he managed to get the words bacon and ice when he was looking for cute kitten pictures, he'll never know. To think they actually served it at Burger King was even more mind-boggling. To think the stuff was actually good was also pretty crazy. After he figured out how to keep the flavors together with the ice cream melting and all, it was pretty tasty. What next, bacon wrapped cupcakes? They already have those around? Score!

"Oi," Grimmjow just registered that there was a hand waving in front of his face. " Get yer head out'ta yer ass fer a minute, will ya?"

This pissed Grimmjow off. "I'll kick yer ass if yer not careful, Nnoitra."

"Him? Careful?" A stoic voice entered. "A hamster surviving sex with an elephant is more likely than Nnoitra being careful."

"Fuck you, emo bastard," Nnoitra growled.

"Leave my lack of a father out of this," The shorter, raven-haired male shot back. "or have you forgotten you also have no father."

The tall slender man nearly threw himself at the raven-haired man that was less than half his height. He would have punched the man in the face if Grimmjow wasn't holding him back.

"Can we all calm down, please?" Starrk finally piped up. "Have we forgotten what we're here for in the first place?"

"The mission of course," Grimmjow grumbled,"'Cause if it isn't the reason, I'm gonna kick someone's ass."

"There's no need for violence. At the moment anyway," Starrk explained slowly. "Do you all remember Zangetsu?"

"Old dude saved our asses. How could we forget 'em?" Nnoitra blurted.

Ulquiorra and Grimmjow exchanged looks. They vowed to not speak of that accident where they let their pride get the best of them. Even if they were to die, they'd never admit it they had made the mistake of having a competition while on a mission. Especially one in which they were tasked to sneak into the enemy base and kill the head honcho unarmed. It wasn't the smartest thing to do, considering the place was swarming with weapon jockies.

"Well it turns out his nephew is in a bind-"

"He has a family?" Grimmjow exclaimed. "You'd think the man was born from fricking stone."

"So I take it you didn't know he had two sons either, then?"

"What?!"

Grimmjow looked to Nnoitra for backup. Nnoitra whistled a made-up tune while turning away. Grimmjow then glanced at Ulquiorra who just stared blankly back at him.

"So I was the only one of us who didn't know." Grimmjow huffed agitatedly. "You guys are assholes."

"Yer jus' too slow, Grimmy," Nnoitra cooed. "'Snot our fault."

Grimmjow ignored Nnoitra in favor for his now melted into white cream with brown lumps. Now frustrated that his precious ice cream was now ruined by the walking stick, he removed himself from the patio table and threw his cup of awesome into the trash can. Returning to the table, he sighed roughly.

"Anything else you douches want ta' tell me, before I die not knowing someone's got a price on my head?"

"Well like I was trying to explain, our job is to protect Zangetsu's nephew," Starrk paused. "from Aizen."

"Tha fuck? What could he have done ta' get on that guy's bad side?" Nnoitra grinned, "Step on his shoes?"

"Apparently he witnessed a hit," Starrk explained.

"Wouldn't that just get 'em a warning?" Grimmjow was a still puzzled at who would mess with one such as Aizen. The dirty bastard.

"He also punched Aizen's right hand man, Gin Ichimaru," Everyone got silent.

"...Kid's got balls," Nnoitra said almost breathlessly.

"Indeed," Ulquiorra agreed in his usual tone.

Starrk, Nnoitra, Grimmjow turned to Ulquiorra. For him to actually agree on a compliment was rare. However, this was Aizen they were talking about. He was one the biggest yakuza bosses you could meet in the world. To tangle with him was like being in a locked room with two scorpions; When they get hungry, they'll eat you. If you're unlucky, they'll breed and feed you to their offspring. If you're terribly unlucky, they'll kill you for fun.

"This kid's in deep shit," Grimmjow commented grimly.

"I wouldn't call him a kid since he'll be the twenty-four in two months." Starrk added. "He's your age."

Starrk himself, being the oldest of the group, was two years Grimmjow's senior. Nnoitra was the same age as Grimmjow. Ulquiorra never shared his age, but it is assumed he is twenty-three by Starrk. Every time Grimmjow and Nnoitra tried to sneak a peek at his driver's licence, furniture always ended up broken.

After some time passed, Starrk felt it was safe enough to speak again.

"We leave tomorrow. Make sure you have all you need packed by eight in the morning."

Starrk shifted as he prepared to excused himself from his companions' company.

"Wait," Grimmjow shot quickly,"What's his name?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Ichigo Kurosaki..."

The sound of the name sent a shiver down Grimmjow's spine as he, too, left to pack.

**That game is still up.**

**Please R&R.**


	4. Chapter 2

**I reread my last chapter and found a few grammar errors. For that I am sorry.**

**The closest guess so far is 15!**

**I got mid-terms coming up, but I'll try to update.(Oh, a clue!) I don't study anyway.**

**Good luck!**

So far everything was peaceful for Ichigo. He had awoken at seven, took a shower, and was now making himself a ham and cheese omelette. Cooking in nothing but your underwear isn't weird at all. The sound of egg slowly cooking soothed his nerves a bit. Now all he needed was a good message and he'd truly be at peace. Just as Ichigo was to add in the ham and cheese, he heard a knock at his door. At first he thought someone had gotten the wrong address, it being an apartment and all. Those thoughts were completely terminated when the knocking didn't persist. Instead it suddenly stopped. Ichigo peered out the kitchen doorway wondering if the person who stood on the other side was still there. He took a few steps toward the door. Ichigo jumped as the door was forced in and off its hinges. Through the now gaping doorway stood a man only slightly taller than Ichigo himself. He could have been described as...Quirky, maybe? He had slicked back hair and a devilish goatee. His outfit looked as if he just walked out of an urbanized Brokeback Mountain knock-off. The man also wore a headband that made him look as though he had horns.

"I am Dordoni Alessandro Del Sacaccio!" The peculiar man announced flauntily. "You will die at my hand, Ichigo Kurosaki."

The man now dubbed Dordoni finished his declaration by pointing a finger at Ichigo.

"And a manicured hand at that," Ichigo scoffed.

Dordoni gave a disgruntled click of his tongue.

"Listen, Rigatoni-"

"Dordoni!" Said man corrected.

"Whatever, I don't want any trouble," Ichigo sighed.

"You listen to me, Mr. Kurosaki. Not only have you dared to challenged the great Lord Aizen, but you have disrespected me as your executor." Dordoni ranted. "And for that I will not make your death pleasant."

"Excuse me, Macaroni, but who is Aizen?"

Dordoni gave an exaggerated gasp. It seemed he didn't notice Ichigo's replacement of his name. Or maybe he just ignored it.

"How dare you!"

"Pepperoni-"

Ichigo barely finished his mangled version of Dordoni's name before he saw a booted foot come flying at him. He ducked as soon as possible, the foot almost hitting him in the face. He spared Dordoni a glance that gave three teaspoons of 'what the hell.' Using Ichigo's position to his advantage, Dordoni lifted his leg over him and prepared to bring it down. Thank goodness he saw that one coming. Using the momentum he had from rolling backward, Ichigo sprang up and made for the kitchen. Ichigo then turned to find a raging Dordomi right on his heels. Ichigo found he was cornered and mentally slapped himself for acting like one of those stupid girls in the horror movies. Ichigo found himself stepping back every time Dordoni took a step forward. Eventually he was backed to the stove with the horned male looming over him. Just as Dordoni prepared to pounce, Ichigo grabbed the hot skillet containing his half-finished omelette and swung it with all his might. The cowboy was knocked over by the hit, feeling the sting the hot pan left on his right cheek. Ichigo used the time Dordoni was down to toss himself over the breakfast bar into the dining room. Dordoni released an angered growl as he picked himself off the kitchen floor. Apparently he didn't catch where Ichigo went and wandered back into the living room in search for boxer-clad target. Ichigo took this chance to think of some sort of plan. It was no good. He wasn't the kind to use his head in battle.

"Shit," Ichigo cursed. "Shit!"

The more than half-naked young man crawled on his hands and knees to the opening in the room that served as a doorway and peered out to find that the giant cowboy devil was still searching the living room and kitchen. Just as Ichigo found the opportunity to rush his enemy, he spotted a head of blonde hair peeking through his ruined front door.

"Tripple shit!"

Why did Wonderweiss have to come at a time like this? Ichigo flailed his arms to catch the blonde boy's attention. Wonderweiss turned his freckled face to Ichigo and pointed to himself whilst tilting his head. Ichigo smiled a bit at the boy's antics and nodded in confirmation. The purple-eyed boy walked straight past a rummaging Dordoni as if it were child's play. Ichigo quite literally slapped himself at the thought of himself walking through so easily. As soon as Wonderweiss got close enough to Ichigo, he stuck his face into the area between his neck and shoulder.

"Hello to you, too, Wonder," Ichigo almost cooed.

"A-auoo," Came Wonderweiss' own greeting.

"You see the man over there?" Ichigo pointed to Dordoni who was now in the kitchen going through the broom closet.

Wonderweiss nodded.

"He wants to take me away," Wonderweiss gave a sound similar to a starved lion. "Forever."

It seemed that something in the boy snapped at 'forever.' He shot toward the raging man almost too fast to be humanly possible. Dordoni heard someone approach him from behind and readied himself to lash out when he was grabbed by his hair. It would have seemed a weird scene of a skinny nineteen year dragging a full-grown man across a room, but to Ichigo that was just Wonderweiss doing what Wonderweiss did: Wondeerweiss things. Said boy had drug Dordoni all the way to an open window in the living room and proceeded to hang the man by his hair out of it. The hanging man looked down at the ground that existed four stories below him. Panicking, Dordoni began to plead for his life.

"Little boy, please don't drop me," The man pleaded, whimpering slightly. "If you join Lord Aizen, you can have anything you want."

Wonderweiss seemed completely unaffected by such talk.

"Ich-i-go," He simply said.

At that response, the horned man began to cry.

Ichigo had been watching this scene while sitting on a stool at the breakfast bar. His arms and legs were crossed in an elegant and comfortable way. He hadn't intended to use Wonderweiss that way, but he knew the boy would be able to handle such a situation quicker than he could. He had to make sure to bake some cookies for Wonderweiss later. Movement in the front doorway caught Ichigo's eye. He turned his head to find four men staring at the now ruined apartment. One was extremely tall and wore a custom-made eyepatch over his left eye. The shortest possessed black-haired and tattoos that resembled tears. Is skin was remarkably pale. The most calm of the group had his hands in his pockets and wore a necklace made from the jawbone of some animal. His grey eyes seemed to speak volumes to Ichigo. The last of them seemed to stand out most, however. This man was slightly taller than Ichigo sporting almost neon blue hair. His eyes gave a beautiful mix of emotion and mystery which was highlighted by the turquoise tattoos rimming those deep pools. Ichigo choked on his own tongue.

"Would anyone like an omelette?"

**Please R&R**


	5. Chapter 3

**YAY! WE HAVE WINNERS. Yes, winners. It's better 'cause there's more than one.**

**Congratulations:**

**CreotiaFlayier**

**noname12321**

**Not necessarily in that order.**

**Since this a blanket effect prize, you all get it! Woohoo!**

For once Ulquiorra wasn't being silent because he wanted to. In fact, all the men who now stood in the door of the ruined apartment were speechless to such a scene. A man in some type of cowboy knock-off suit was pleading for his life to be spared while hanging out a window. There was a blonde boy with a blank expression hanging the cowboy out of said window. And what made this scene even more disturbing was the man in Chappy the rabbit underwear watching the entire scene. And did he just offer them omelettes? This job was just getting weird for Grimmjow and the team. Too shocked out of their minds, the only one who proceeded to break the ice was Ulquiorra. What better to break ice than more ice, right?

"You are Ichigo Kurosaki," he declared more than asked.

"How do you know my name?" Ichigo stiffened a bit. " You're not here to kill me, too, are you?"

"Be at ease, we are here for quite the opposite."

"Oh, really now..."

Opposite of kill, huh? That meant they were there to protect him, right? Ulqiorra decided to break it down simply for the confused man for he was becoming agitated with the silence of his teammates.

"We have been hired by your uncle to protect you."

"That old geezer," Ichigo's scowl deepened. "I told him I didn't need this shit."

"Want it or not, we are doing what is requested of us," Ulquiorra's voice rang with ice. "We will be around when we are needed or not."

At that, Ichigo took a moment to take a better look at his visitors. They each were apparently carrying an over-night bag. They weren't planning on staying with him, were they? Ichigo didn't have that many free rooms. There was only two guest rooms for when his family came to visit, but even then there wasn't enough beds. It was then Grimmjow decided to speak up, his rough voice filling the room.

"That's right, Kurosaki. You gotta go shoppin', we'll be there. Gotta take a piss, we'll be there."

Grimmjow gave an airy smirk as he saw Ichigo's face turn a slight pink.

"If one of you so much as follows me into the bathroom, I'm kickin' your asses."

Wonderweiss had decided to abandon his post at the window when he notice the distress in Ichigo's voice. He hoisted Dordoni back into the apartment by the back of his shirt and wrapped the man in a choke hold tight enough to knock him out. Finding his deed done, he released the horned man. Hearing a satisfying thump, he made his way to Ichigo while completely ignoring the four men at the door. The purple-eyed boy plopped down at the bottom of the stool on the floor like an obedient dog giving the hired men a glare almost reminiscent of a pout. The four guards had observed the boy as he tried to send knives at them with his eyes. Something about him struck a silent bell in their memory. All of them shook it off, but Starrk stored the feeling for later. He felt he forgot something at least important. The blond just seemed very familiar to him.

"Who is that boy?"The goatteed man asked.

"This is Wonderweiss," Ichigo took a small glance at the boy. "I don't really know where he keeps coming from, he just pops up out of nowhere."

"What do you mean?" Ulquiorra was now interested.

"When I first moved here six years back, I would come out of my door and find him just sitting in the hall curled in a ball on the floor. I just thought he missed someone who lived here. He possibly could have been waiting for someone? I don't know," Ichigo's eyes turned a bit downward. "Anyway, I couldn't just let him stay out there so I let him in. He's just been around, I guess. He looked so lost"

"I see..." Starrk could almost feel Ichigo's sadness.

The apartment was again bathed in silence until the most restless of the group decided he couldn't take anymore.

"Ah! Enough with the silence bullshit! I came to kick ass, not sit around like a lazy fuck, dammit!" Grimmjow dropped his bag in his outburst, startling the only two people in the room who didn't know him well enough to expect such an action from him.

"Sssshhh. Wonder hates loud noises. You're agitating him, look!" Ichigo pointed to a hissing, startled, blond mess on the carpeted floor.

"The fuck ever," Grimmjow spat back. " The little bastsard better get used to me being around, 'cuz I'm gonna be here 24/7 from now on."

"Please tell me you guys are going to be staying in a nearby hotel."

"We're sorry, Kurosaki," Starrk chimed in. "If we did that, we wouldn't be able to do our job efficiently."

On that note, the men finally move from the destroyed doorway into the apartment. If his life was a cartoon, Ichigo's jaw would have fallen of to the floor. Wonderweiss growled at the men as they made their way past Ichigo and down the hall.

"An omelette sounds nice," Grimmjow mumbled as he passed. "Better be one made fer me when I'm done unpacking."

"Oi, Kurosaki,"Nnoitra called, grinning widely. " Ya might wanna get this shit hole cleaned up, too."

Starrk gave a sympathetic look. He knew how his partners could get on this kind of mission. Ulqiorra also gave Ichigo a greeting as he passed him by.

"Sorry, Kurosaki, but you've been invaded."

**I really intended on putting more background on Wonderweiss later, but there you go.**

**Sorry it took so long.**

**Please R&R.**


	6. Chapter 4

_Bang!_

That was the first sound Ichigo heard that sleepy morning. The tired redhead rolled over onto his right side and attempted to make himself comfortable again. Lucky him, he didn't have class today: he can sleep in as much as he wanted. There was another loud noise beyond his closed door. If only those ass-holes would stop making so much damn noise... Ichigo grabbed one of his pillows and placed it firmly over the side of his face that was exposed to the horrid assault of noise. This try at peace didn't help at all. If anything, the disturbance grew. He wanted to go out there and give the bastards a good look at the better side of his foot. Instead, the sleepy redhead rolled over again and drifted toward sleep as much as he could. Just as he was about to be enveloped in sleep's embrace, he nearly fell out of his bed when something or someone bust through his door.

"Mmmph!"

Through Ichigo's door, a restrained and gagged Ravioli, or whatever his name was, literally hopped into the room. By the looks of it, the man had been through some extreme 'interrogating' since the events that occurred the other day. Scars marred the horned man's body and his clothing was ripped in various place which bled out profusely. Ichigo just hoped the blood didn't stain his carpet. The man had been bound from head to toe in hand cuffs and rope. There was a cloth wrapped tightly around his head to keep him from making more noise than he seemed to already emit. Ichigo decided now was as good a time as any to get up. He knew trying to ignore his new roommates was futile. The day just started and he wished it would end so soon.

"Excuse me, Pastrami," came Ichigo's voice, husky from sleep.

The agitated red-head ignored Bologna's grunt from the misuse of his name, kicked the man over, and stepped on him as he walked into the hallway. Right about now he felt like some pancakes. Fluffy, warm, delicious pancakes sounded good right now. Ichigo stopped dead in his tracks upon stepping in the kitchen. On the red-head's counter sat Grimmjow. The teal-haired man had on about nothing but a pair of jeans. On the bridge of his nose sat reading glasses as a cigarette hung from his slack lips. In the shirtless man's hands was a stack of papers that he seemed to be skimming. Ichigo shook himself from his slight daze before he prepared to snap at the slightly younger man to put a shirt on, put the cigarette out, and get off his counter. Before he could open his mouth, the blunet threw his hands in the air, flinging the once neat stack of papers.

"Dammit! How in the hell am I supposed ta figure this shit out!"

Ichigo gave Grimmjow a questioning look. What could have the blue-haired man so confused? The red-head looked around at the papers now littering his kitchen floor. Among them lie two pictures. One was of Avioli, the other...was the man Ichigo had witnessed the murder of. Ichigo grimaced at the remembrance of the memories that came with that face: the sounds, smell, the absolute presence of fear. His sudden daze was shaken away as Grimmjow had finally noticed his presence.

"Are ya jus' gonna stare at th' floor or say som'n, Kurosaki?" The bespectacled man drawled lazily.

Ichigo ignored the sarcastic tone of Grimmjow's voice and picked up the picture of the odd-looking, dark blue haired man. He raised the photograph to the other man.

"Tell me his name and why this man was killed," It wasn't a question.

"Name's Kurotsuchi Mayuri,"Grimmjow took a drag from his cigarette. "Sick bastard experimented on Aizen's men without any type a' permit from the boss."

Ichigo winced.

"Even turned his own daughter into a Frankenstein."

The silence grew louder as neither men spoke another word. Ichigo was speechless. No one deserves to die, but to tamper with people's lives even with permission was...disgusting.

"Kurosaki..."

Ichigo's stomach growled...very loudly.

"I made pancakes."

At the mention of hot cakes, the red-head's face lit up brightly. Fuck sadistic bastards, he was starving! Without direction, Ichigo turned toward the table where he found four plates of pancakes covered in whipped cream, strawberries and syrup along with three mugs of coffee and one glass of milk. Ichigo was starting to like the four idiots that served as body guards.

"Oi! Where's my breakfast, bitch?!"

Nnoitra had just entered the kitchen. His hair looked disheveled from sleep, eye-patch still in place. Grimmjow scowled as he hopped down from the counter. After making his way to the table, he randomly lifted a plate of pancakes and launched them at the leaning tower of stupid known as Nnoitra. The plate found a cozy home right dead in the center of the taller man's face.

"There's yer fuckin' breakfast, bitch,"Grimmjow set his glasses to the side while sucking more off his cancer stick.

Ichigo had just about inhaled half his plate before it was rudely snatched and thrown at a now pancake-faced Nnoitra. In his anger, he lifted a coffee from the table and emptied the hot caffeinated beverage over the blue head. Grimmjow was in a shocked surprise for a few seconds before he gave a deep growl. Nnoitra busted out laughing after wiping cream from his lone eye.

"Yer treadin in dangerous waters, Kurosaki."

"Bring it, Big Blue."

With that, Grimmjow lunged at the also raging man. Ichigo easily backed away, slipping out of range. It didn't take long for the teal-haired man to recover as he instead changed his tactics, now going for Ichigo's legs. That was a terrible move. It was like playing a game of swipes with a mastiff: It fucking hurt. The 'mastiff' kept coming down hard on his hands. Ichigo decided, he'd has enough. He plucked a whipped cream bottle off the nearby counter. He drifted backward as he dodged Grimmjow's advances and lifted the bottle, spraying the unsuspecting male in the face. Using this opportunity to his advantage, Ichigo pushed Grimmjow on his back and brought down a dish of pancakes on his cream covered face.

"Eat it, bitch," Ichigo smirked triumphantly.

Not willing to take such treatment laying down, the cream-faced male flipped Ichigo onto his back and straddled him. As much as the red-haired male struggled, he couldn't free himself from under the other man.

"Yer turn ta' eat it, Kurosaki," Grimmjow grinned evilly.

Grimmjow lifted chunks of pancakes that had been on his face and shoved them into Ichigo's face, leaving it sticky. Finding his work done, Grimmjow removed himself from Ichigo. The red-head was now fuming. Grimmjow laughed as he licked a mix of syrup and whipped cream from his face.

"Mom always says to be messy after a meal is a compliment to the chef."

Ichigo couldn't help but smile. Nnoitra had again burst with laughter. The three cream clad men all laughed as they observed each other's state.

"Ahem."

All three men turned to the new arrival. It was Starrk looking very amused.

"I hate to interrupt such moments, but have you found anything out about the case?"

Grimmjow grimaced bitterly at the question.

"I still don't understand why the bastard didn't just shoot Kurosaki on the spot if he sent an assassin after 'em."

"Hmm..."Starrk hummed lowly in thought."Ever consider he did it on his own? Dordoni, I mean."

"Are you suggestin' that Aizen's suboordinates are goin' behind his back to kill Kurosaki?"

"That or someone's pulling the strings that's not Aizen."

Ichigo listened silently as the two guards collaborated. He felt almost as though they had forgotten he was in the room. How nice of them.

"I'm sitting right here, y'know."

"Oh," Starrk replied." I apologize. Could you provide some information?"

"Well the silver bastard told me he knew somebody who'd be interested in me..."

Starrk opened his mouth to utter something but was cut off as a thud caught his attention. A sniffling Pistachio was now laying on the floor in front of the auburn haired man's feet.

"So Suckcockio did this out of jealousy?" Ichigo stared curiously as the bound man on the floor seemed to turn red.

The red-head received no answers as the other males in the room had covered their mouths to keep from snickering at Ichigo's misuse of the assassin's name. Another voice had to answer that question. An emotionless one.

"Sacaccio, Kurosaki,"Ulquiorra toned."As for your question, we do not know for certain."

"All we really know is that yer not gonna die on our watch,"Nnoitra chimed in.

"Like hell, you will!" Ichigo exclaimed.

The adressed men laughed. Of course all exept , a thought struck the red-headed male.

"I don't think I ever got you guys' names."

Starrk stepped forward.

"Pardon our rudeness. I am Starrk Coyote, a pleasure to do you business."

"Ulquiorra Cifer..."

"Nnoitra Gilga at yer service."

"...Grimmjow, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

Ichigo smiled, forgetting the whipped cream, syrup, and pancake on his face. It didn't feel so bad having bodyguards anymore. It was at that time a blond head decided to pop in, zooming its way to tackle Ichigo. Ichigo felt a wet tongue licking the mess from his skin. The red-head's smile widened.

"We can't forget Wonderweiss, now can we?"

**This took me forever...I apologize.**


End file.
